Tourniquet



Aug. 28, 1962 R. A. DWYER 3,051,179

TOURNIQUET Filed July 15, 1959 5,551,179 Patented Aug. 28, 1962 n l le 13,051,179 TOURNIQUE'I Russell A. Dwyer, Wolverine, Mich. Filed .lilly15, 1959, Ser. No. 827,306 4 Claims. (Cl. 12S-327) This inventionrelates to tonrniquets and, in particular, to tourniquets used inassociation with intravenous needle manipulation.

One object of this invention is to provide a tourniquet which is quicklyand easily applied to the limb where blood flow is to be retarded orinterrupted, yet which does not -pinch the skin or ilesh and which doesnot produce bruises or wounds therein.

Another object is to provide a tourniquet of the foregoing characterwhich as a result of its novel construction automatically produces asnubbing or locking action upon the tourniquet band yet which by asimple mo-tion of the hand instantly lrelaxes the snubbing or lockingaction so as to release the tourniquet band and re-establish the flow ofblood either partially or wholly, as desired.

Another object is to provide a tourniquet of the foregoing character inwhich the tourniquet band can be tightened or released by the use of onehand so that the operator is enabled to employ his other hand for themanipulation of the intravenous needle.

Another object is to provide a tourniquet of the foregoing characterwherein the operator may gradually release the tourniquet band andaccordingly gradually release the pressure of blood, so as tore-establish the flow gradually rather than suddenly, as in priortourniquets in which the tourniquet band is abruptly released.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentduring the course of the following description of the accompanyingdrawing, wherein:

FIGURE l is a top plan view of an improved tourniquet according to oneform of the present invention, in its band-snubbing or locking position,:but with the 'free ends of the tourniquet band cut away incross-section to show the snubbing groove 4and slot construction moreclearly, and with the limb to which the tourniquet is applied shown indotted lines;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section taken along the line 2-2 in FIGURE l, withthe tourniquet handle pulled by the band into band-snubbing or lockingposition;

FIGUR-E 3 is a cross-section similar to FIGURE 2, but With thetourniquet handle turned into band-releasing position; and

IFIGURE 4 is a cross-section similar to FIGURE 2,- but showing amodicataion of the invention.

Hitherto, the use of tourniquets has been ordinarily attended withdiscomfort to the patient arising from the fact that the skin or fleshof Ithe limb to which the tourniquet was applied was pinched =by pullingthe skin'against the handle or other locking device, particularly whenthe locking device contained relatively sharp edges. Furthermore, suchprior tourniquets could not be conveniently manipulated with one hand ofthe operator but only by the use of both hands. This has beenparticularly disadvantageous where the tourniquet has been used inconnection with intravenous needle manipulation, such as for intravenousfeeding, blood transfusions and the like. As a result, the physician,nurse or other operator has been handicapped in the manipulation of theneedle by this necessity of having to employ both hands for theadjustment of the tourniquet. Finally, the tension of the tourniquetyband in prior tourniquets could not conveniently be released withoutemploying both hands, and, when so released, permitted an abrupt releaseof the blood pressure with a consequent sudden surge of the blood and aresultant strain on the heart and other parts of the circulatory system.

The tourniquet of the present invention eliminates these disadvantagesby providing a tournique which can be adjusted with .one hand, leavingthe other hand free for the manipulation of the needle, yet withoutcausing any pinching of the skin or ilesh of the patient. Moreover, thetourniquet of the present invention has an automatic selfsnubbing actionon the band or cable which automatically locks the tourniquet band inits attained position merely by releasing the tourniquet handle.Finally, the tourniquet of the present invention enables the tension ofthe tourniquet band to be released gradually, and with lthe use of onlyone hand of the operator, thereby ite-establishing the ow of blood in agradual manner without abrupt action or sudden surge and consequentlywithout strain upon the heart or circulary system. Y

Referring to the drawing in detail, FIGURE l shows a limb L, such as thearm of a patient, to which has been applied a tourniquet, generallydesignated 10, according to one form of the invention. The tourniquet 10consists generally of an elongated operating member or rod 12 and aresilient or elastic flexible band or cable or limbconstricting element14 by which the constricting action is applied to the limb L. In FIGURESl and 2, the tourniquet 10 is shown with the operating member 12 andband 14 in a snubbed or locked position wherein the tension of the band14 is temporarily held constant by the automatic snubbing andself-locking action inherent in the construction of the invention. Theband 14 is preferably of elastic deformable material of the elastomergroup of materials, such as natural or synthetic rubber or compositionsthereof, or of resilient synthetic plastic material. When it is inposition on the limb L, or adjusted ready to be `applied thereto, the.band 1'4 has a loop or bight 1'6 with perpendicular intermediateportions 18 and Ztl passing through the operating member 12, andterminating in free end portions 22 and 24 respectively (-FIG- URE 2).

' The -band 14, as shown in FIGURE l, is of elongated approximatelyrectangular cross-section and its intermediate portions `18 and 20 passthrough a pair of openings in t-he apertured yforward end portion -34 ofthe operating member 12 consisting of .a notch 26 and slot 28respectively which they snugly Ibut slidably fit. The mouths 25 and 27of the notch 26 and slot 28 respectively have substantially sharp corneredges 29 and 31 which cooperate in performing the snubbing action.

' The operating member 12 is of elongated cylindrical shape with acylindrical outer surface and a handle portion 30, and has its `centerline or longitudinal axis 32 disposed substantially perpendicular to themedial plane of the loop or bight v16. The operating member 12 ispreferably made from synthetic plastic material because of the ease .ofsterilization, `and for convenience and visibility is preferably madefrom transparent -synthetic plastic matcrial. The notch 26 is located toone side of the handle portion 30 and spaced transversely of the centerline or longitudinal axis 32 of the cylindrical operating member 12 inthe apertured forward end portion 34 of the operating member 12. Thenotch 26 extends toward the forward end 35 thereof from an open recess36 having a ilat :bottom surface 38 which extends the entire length ofthe recess 36 and the notch 26 communicating therewith. A tongue 40extends over the notch 26 approximately halfway over the 'length of thebottom surface 38 so as to terminate at 42 at `approximately the outeredge of the tourniquet band portion 18 While the inner edge is againstthe inner end `44 of the notch 26, leaving a gap 46 between the tongueend 42 and the recess end '4S of slightly greater width than the widthof the hand 14. The slot 28 is located on the opposite Iside of thecenter line or axis 32 from the notch 26 and is approximately parallelto the notch 26 (FIGURE 2).

In the operation of the tourniquet of the present invention, let it beassumed that the `free end portions -22 and 24 of t-he tourniquet Vband14 have been inserted through their Yrespective notch 26 and slot 28 andpulled to the point |where the loop or bight 16 is of approximately thesize of theportion of the limb L to-which it is to be applied. Theoperator then grasps the handle portion 30 of the :operating member 12and pulls the 4loop 16 over the limb L to the position at Iwhich hewishes to apply the band 14, whereupon he pulls further on the lfree endportion 22'to tighten or constrict the loop 16 against the limb L, atthe same time turning the handle portion 30 of the operating member 12as shown in yFIGURE 3 so as to straighten out the previous perpendicularrelationship .between the loop 16 and intermediate portion 18 fromapproximately right angles to an obtuse angle (FIGURE 3), therebyreducing the snubbing or locking action upon the intermediate portion 18at the corner edge portion 29 of the notch mouth 25. At

the same time, the previous right angle at the corner edge 31 becomes anacute angle with enhanced locking or snubbing action upon the 'bandportions 16 and 20. The result of this is that the free end portion 22of the loop or bight 16 of the band 12 now slides easily and smoothlythrough the notch 26 so long as the operating member 12 is held in theposition of FIGURE 3 to which it has been rotated counterclockwise asshown by the single-headed arrow 50. The loop 16 may -thus be enlargedor contracted in this partly-rotated position of the operating member 12(FIGURE 3) merely by pulling on the free end 22 or permitting theresilience of the band 16 to pull upon the latter, as indicated lby thedouble-headed arrow 52 in FIGURE 3.

When the band 14 has been |tightened sulciently to constrict the flow ofblood to halt it altogether, depending upon the tightness .of the loopor lblight 16 upon the limb L, the operator releases the handle portion30 of the operating member 12, whereupon the tension and elasticity ofthe band loop 16 acting against the inner edges of the notch 18 and slot20 respectively in opposite directions pulls 4upon the handle 12 in aclockwise direction opposite to that shown by the arrow 50 in FIGURE 3,thereby rotating the handle 12 from the releasing position of FIGURE 3into the snubbing or locking position of FIGURE 2. Due to theright-angle relationship of the intermediate band portions 18 and 20 atthe corner edges 29 and 31 ywith the adjacent portions of the band loopor bight 14, the snubbing action mentioned above immediately andautomatically resumes its operation, thereby preventing further slippageof the free end portion 22 of the band 14 through the'notch 26 andconsequently locking the loop 16 in its attained position.

If, now, the operator wishes to relax the constricting action of theloop 16, he again turns the operating member 12 counterclockwise, asshown by the arrow 50 in FIGURE 3, thereby permitting a part of the freeend portion 22 of the band 14 to .pass through the notch 26, enlargingthe loop or bight 16 and consequently relaxing its constricting grip onthe limb L. As `a result, the blood flow is again resumed, eitherpartially or wholly, according to Ithe desire of the operator, therebyenabling such resumption to take place gradually without abrupt changeand consequently without a sudden strain on the heart or other part ofthe circulatory system. When the loop 16 has become sutciently enlargedin this manner, the operator releases his grip upon the operating member12 with the result that if any tension still exists in the loop 16, itagain pulls the operating member 12 into the position shown in FIGURE 2,and snubbing again occurs. It, however, the loop 16 is now loose uponthe limb L, the operator with one hand can pull the operating member 12in a direction away trom the limb L, enlarging the Cil loop 16 andenabling the tourniquet '10 to be easily removed from the limb L. Thesemanipulations can be made with the use of but one hand of ythe operator,leaving the other hand free for manipulation of the intravenous needle,if desired. i

The modified tourniquet, generally designated 60, shown in FIGURE 4 isgenerally similar in construction to that 1 shown in FIGURES l to 3inclusive, and similar parts are designated by the same referencenumerals. The tourniquet 60 diiters only from the tourniquet 10 by thefact that in place of the intermediate portion 20 of the band 14 passingthrough a slot 28, as in FIGURE 1,- the end portion 62 in FIGURE 4 issecured within a recess 64 of -approximately rectangularcross-section-corresponding to the approximately rectangularcross-section of theV band 14 and either cemented or otherwise anchoredin position. This has been done by the insertion of an anchor pin orfastener y66' in a `hole 68 drilled inward from the lforward end 35 ofthe operating member 12 partway overlapping the recess 64 so as toindent the end portion 62 and by its resiliencefldeform it so as to holdit securely within the recess 64.

The operation of the modiiied tourniquet 60 is similar to that describedabove in connection with the tourniquet 10 .of FIGURES 1 to 3 inclusive,and possesses a similar snubbing or locking action upon the band 14, andsimilar one-hand manipulation characteristics.

What I claim is:

1. A tourniquet comprising an elongated elastic flexiblelimb-constricting elemeuthaving opposite end portions and Valimb-constricting loop portion `disposed bet-Ween said end portions, andan elongated operating member having its -longitudinal axis disposedsubstantially perpendicular to the medial plane of said loop portion,said operating member including a handle portion and an aperturedconstricting-element-receiving portion disposed axially -from saidhandle portion, said apertured portion having a pair of openings thereinspaced apart from one another in a direction transverse to the centerline of said operating member with the mouths of said openings on oneside of said apertured portion having snubbing edges therea-t, one ofsaid openings passing through said operating member, one of said endportions of said limbconstricting element passing through one of saidopenings and the other of said end portions entering the other of saidopenings with the opposite ends of said loop portion bent sharply atsaid snubbing edges relatively to said end portions in snubbed lockingrelationship with said apertured portion.

2. A tourniquet, according to claim 1, wherein the operating member hasa longitudinal recess in one side thereof and wherein the throughopening comprises a notch extending longitudinally along said opera-tingmember from said recess.

3. A tourniquet, according to claim 1, wherein the openings are disposedadjacent one end .of the operating member.

4. A tourniquet, according Vto claim 1, wherein the openings `aredisposed approximately parallel to one another on opposite sides of thelongitudinal axis of said operating member.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS268,407 Hughes Dec. 5, 1882 1,302,062 McFarlane Apr. 29, 1919 1,379,093Freeberg 1 May 24, 1921 1,566,235 Sheehan Dec. 15, 1925 1,911,815Deringer et al. May 30, 1933 1,979,508 Denbel Nov. 6, 1934 2,893,394'Ihomsen July 7, 1959

